Collapsible tube



W. C. VEHSE. COLLAPSIBLE TUBE:

ADPLICATION FILED OCT. 8, 1920.

Patented 001;. 24, 1922.

Patented-@ct. 24,- 311922.-

onirao WILLIAM C. VERSE, 0F APPONAUG, RHODE ISLAND.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE.

Application filed October 8, 1920. Serial No. 415,631.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM C. VEHSE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ap ponaug, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Tubes,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to closures for the discharge end of collapsibletubes which are designed to carry tooth-paste, paint, liquid glue andother materials in paste or powder orm; and the object of this inventionis to provide a simple and effective valve or closure device forcontrolling the discharge opening n the neckof the tube, the same beingpermanently connected to the tube to effectually prevent the annoyancewhich is often caused by the loss of the closure when in the form of aremovable cap, or the like.

The nature and advantages of the invention will-be better understoodwhen the following detail description is taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the invention residing in the combination andarrangement of arts as claimed.

In the drawings f drming part of this specification, like numerals ofreference indlcate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved collapsible tube asbeing compressed at its end and discharging the contents upon a toothbrush.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing a portion of thetube with the valve in open or discharge position.

Figure 3 is the same as Figure 2 but showingrthe valve in closedosition.

igure 4C is an outside elevation of my improved tube, showing thedischarge opening in the neck and the operating handle on the valve, theneck portion of the tube being partially broken away to illustrate theaction of this handle portion of the plug to hold the plug in positionafter hav ing been inserted into the neck of the tube.

Figure 5 is a top view of my improved tube.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the body portion of acollapsible tube which is preferably made of a soft ductile metal, thesame being usually formed by an extruding process, the stock in the topportion or head 11 of the tube may be left slightly thicker than that ofthe body portion if desired.

The side wall of this neck portion is provided with a discharge opening18' and the outer end 14 of the neck is preferably left open for thepassage of the handle portion of the valve.

The valve or closure member 15 is prefera-= bly of the plug type beingcorrespondingly tapered to fit the inner wall of the neck portion andthis plug is provided with an outwardly-extending operating end 16 whichis first formed of a shape to be readily passed through the open end,and after being positioned in this neck this extending member is swagedpreferably into disc shape, that portion of the disc which is connectedto the plug portion of the valve being of a shape to engage the outeredge 14: of the neck portion to prevent the plug from falling" inwardlybefore the tube is filled, from its seat. This disc-shaped end alsoserves as a convenient means by which to rotate the valve.

This plug-shaped valve is provided with an opening 18 through its sidewall, which is adapted to register with the opening 13 in the side wallof the neck portion when the valve is turned to the desired position,which opening 18 connects with the interior of the collapsible tube sothat when the body of the tube is compressed the contents can be forcedout through a channel or opening 18 in the plug and through the o ening13 in the neck or when it is desire to close this opening 13 it is onlynecessary to rotate the plug so that its opening will be out ofregister-with that of the neck.

It will be noted by this construction that the pressure on the contentsof the tube,necessary for forcing the same out through the dischargeopening also serves to force the plug-shaped valve against its seatrendering it tight against leaking when under pres sure.

In practice these tubes are first formed into the desired shape leavingtheir bottom ends, or those ends opposite the discharge neck open. Thenext operation is to insert a valve from the inside outward and then byswaging the projecting portion 16 into the shape illustrated in Figure4, this valve is locked in position against being removed from the neck.The contents of the tube is subsequently inserted into the open endthereof, which end is then sealed and the tube ready for use.

The device is extremely simple, inexpensive and practical inconstruction and by its use the contents of the collapsible tube areretained therein and the discharge of the contents of the tube may benicely controlled and that without removing any of the parts, whichoften become mislaid and lost as is the case when removable caps areemployed.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible tube having an internally and outwardly tapering neckportion open at its end and having a discharge opening in its side wall,a correspondingly tapered plug valve seated in said neck and having aninclined discharge passageway adapted to communicate with said dischargeopenopen outer end and also having an opening through its side wall, acorresponding tapered plug rotatably seated in said neck and having anopening to register with the opening in said neck; the outer end of saidplug extending through the outer end of the neck and being flattened toform a finger-grasp, whereby the plug may be rotated in the neck.

3. A collapsible tube having a discharge neck tapered on its inside andhaving an open outer end and also having an opening throu h itssidewall, a corresponding tapered p ug rotatably seated in said neck andhaving an opening to register with" the opening in said neck, the outerend of said plug extending through the outer end of said neck and beingformed to provide a finger-grasp integral with the plug and larger thanthe opening in the outer end of said neck. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM C. VEHSE.

